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| Germany supports unfreezing of SAA |
| 17 November 2009 | 09:23
| Source:
FoNet, Beta |
BERLIN --
Germany explicitly supports Serbia's entry into the European Union, said German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Beta reports.
But, she continued, Berlin also believes that there is a "logical order of steps" on every country's path toward integration.
Merkel made the comments on Monday in Berlin after talks with Serbian President Boris Tadić, referring to Serbia's intention to submit its application for EU membership before the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) goes into effect.
At the same time, the German chancellor announced that Germany supported the SAA going into effect soon and that she would lead talks on this with EU partners, with countries which think the conditions for that do not yet exist.
"The Federal Republic of Germany clearly sees Serbia's European perspective. We will work together on that. Of course, a series of obstacles on that path still need to be overcome," said Angela Merkel, expressing her respect for, as she said, the courageous policies led by Tadić.
Tadić underlined the importance of economic cooperation in the fields of energy and railway transport, and then spoke on the political relations between the two countries at a short press conference after meeting with Merkel.
"Serbia remains devoted to European integration. Serbia, as the central country of Southeast Europe without which there is no stability or growth for the entire region, takes responsibility for itself but also takes on the series of steps in the European integration process," said Tadić.
Kosovo remains the only issue over which Serbia and Germany have different positions, he continued, and repeated that Serbia will "never recognize Kosovo".
At the start of a join news conference, Merkel offered her condolences over the passing of the head of Serbia's Orthodox Church, His Holiness Patriarch Pavle.
Merkel and Tadić also discussed regional issues, mainly Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, and Tadić underlined that Kosovo was the only point on which Serbia and Germany did not share the same opinion.
After speaking with the German chancellor, Tadić attended in the Ministry of Economy in Berlin the signing of a memorandum of agreement between RWE, one of the largest German energy companies, and the Electric Industry of Serbia.
Tadić, whose delegation also comprises Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, also spoke with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle during the afternoon.
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